The Piano Curse
by dkfan24
Summary: Lukas Bondevik, a stoic teenage boy with a strong passion for piano, is sent with his brother Emil to live with their uncle in America. Infuriated, Lukas is determined to hide away from everyone and let no one into his heart. Can Emil help him see the light or will he be too late as Lukas might find some suspicious new addiction that will ultimately destroy his life forever?
1. The Beginning Sonata

**So I thought up a new idea for a fanfic now that I'd finished my other one. But, I'm just warning you all that this is going to be so different from what I usually write. Mainly, my other fics have been more comical without much seriousness but this is going to be a very tragic story I could tell you that much (because I don't want to give any spoilers away). So, I hope you like it :)**

 **Disclaimer: Hetalia doesn't belong to me. (This is applicable to all future chapters so I don't have to take the time mentioning clarifying every single chapter)**

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Lukas stared forlornly out the fogged up window as his great uncle's old, beat up car rolled down the roads of rural Massachusetts. The expression on his face was unreadable as his striking blue eyes held no sign of life in them as they watched the falling raindrops plummet down from the dark, cloud filled sky. Lukas paid no attention to his surroundings in the car as he was completely engrossed in his mind's depressing thoughts. He was wishing he could be back in Norway but instead he had to be here in some boring American countryside. He cursed his mother for sending him and his brother to this rotten place to stay with some uncle of his that he had never even heard of up until a few weeks ago. Lukas remembered that day clearly as if it was yesterday. It was the day that would destroy his life.

 _Lukas walked down the hall nervously with his little brother Emil at his side. It was hard for him to keep his emotions under control, but he had to, especially in front of Emil. He had to be strong for him and his brother if they wanted to get through this. They would, Lukas told himself, they would._

 _As they got closer to their mother's room at the end of the hall, Lukas could feel his heart beating faster as they approached. The white walls of the hospital which were supposed to create a lighter atmosphere in this place of death did nothing to calm Lukas's shaky nerves. All hope he had had before was gone for he had been to this place too many times to believe in it anymore. He just prayed that whatever his mother wanted to say to them was not those dreaded words he was struggling to avoid thinking about._

 _When the two brothers entered the all too familiar room they were greeted with the same scene they had been greeted with for the past few years. Their once strong mother now layed on a white hospital bed hooked up to a bunch of machines that Lukas sadly knew all the functions of. Her frail body lay limply on the bed as her ghostly pale face held an expression of pain that Lukas hated to see. That strong and energetic mother he once knew and loved was gone and as the doctors consistently kept telling him, she would never be like that again._

 _"Boys." Lukas winced as he heard that pained voice. His heart ached to hear his dear mother in such pain. "Come here."_

 _Obediently, Lukas and Emil approached their mother with solemn expressions. They wanted to look happy for her but it was just so hard to smile during these conflicting times._

 _"I wanted to tell you boys something." Lukas's heart began to speed up again. Please don't say it, he thought. This can't be the end._

 _"I know your lives have been nothing but torture ever since your father passed away." Both boys wanted to say something to convince her otherwise but both knew that that was a lie and couldn't possibly bring themselves to say it. "But I want you to know that I love you both and only want what's best for you. So I hope that you won't hate me for doing this and realize that it's for your own good."_

 _Lukas glanced at Emil and could tell his brother was having the same dreadful thoughts as he was. She wasn't leaving now, was she? All these years of struggling, for it to end like this? No, it wasn't happening._

 _"I want to tell you that I'm," No, Lukas thought. He won't let her go! He'll do anything to prevent it, anything! He'd kill himself if he had too. "sending you to stay with your great uncle in America." No! This wasn't happen- wait, who?_

Lukas could feel the tears in his eyes as he unsuccessfully tried to avoid remembering that dreadful memory. He quickly wiped them away so as not to lose his stoic demeanor. After losing his father and most of his mother, he made a vow to himself that besides for Emil, he would never let anyone into his heart. He couldn't take anymore tragedies in his life. And he definitely didn't want to take that chance.

Lukas was startled slightly as Emil lightly nudged him. "We're here." He said quietly. Lukas slowly turned to look out the window and he only sunk into a deeper state of depression as he saw his new home. It was an old victorian house that had definitely seen better days. The original light blue paint had faded to a nasty grey and the broken window shutters were hanging from their hinges. One of the steps to the front porch was caved in and one side of it's roof had been broken off. The lawn was dead and the few trees on the lot were barren. At this sight, Lukas longed for his home in Norway more than ever. But he knew that was impossible.

Lukas and Emil took their luggage out of the trunk in silence as their great uncle leaned against the car smoking a cigarette. "I have to drive into town for a while so you guys go on inside and settle in." He said, though it was obvious he was not overly enthusiastic about these new arrangements. He had barely said anything to them ever since he picked them up from the airport let alone acknowledge them.

Lukas and Emil took out the last of their luggage and placed it down on the curb and closed the trunk. Then, without any sort of goodbye, they watched their great uncle get back in his car and drive off.

"Should we go in?" Emil asked with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"It has to be better than standing out here." Lukas said as he began to haul the luggage down the long, stone path towards the house. Emil quickly followed suit and in a matter of minutes they had brought all their luggage onto the porch. They then stood looking up at the big, oak door for a few seconds before looking at each other. Both boys' faces had a look of uncertainty and their usual lifeless blue eyes held a tiny hint of sadness. Lukas then took the first step and reached out his pale hand to grasp the door handle. He turned it slowly as if something would jump out at them from behind the door. But all remained still as the door opened to reveal a dark house. The only noise from inside were the hinges of the door as it slowly creaked open. The two brothers stood staring for another few seconds until Lukas said, "Come on, what are we standing here for. Let's go inside." He picked up his luggage and set it down on the floor near the door. Emil followed him inside and brought in his luggage.

"There's got to be a light switch in here somewhere." Lukas said as he looked around for a switch. His shoes steps echoed throughout the eerily, silent house. Emil just stood in the corner watching his brother. He never really liked the dark and even though he was older now, he still got anxious whenever there was no light around.

"Found it." A burst of light flooded the front hall as Emil let out the breath he was holding. In the light, the house really wasn't all that bad. Framed pictures of presumably ancestors lined the brown colored walls and a large, wooden staircase sat at the end of the hall. Lukas assumed their rooms were upstairs so he picked up his luggage and headed for the staircase.

"You coming?" He asked Emil. Emil nodded and followed his brother's lead. When they got to the landing Lukas quickly felt for another light switch and upon finding one turned it on. This room too was then flooded with light making it all the more bearable.

Lukas and Emil walked down the long hallway of closed wooden doors. Most of them were either locked or were not used for bedrooms. Finally, they came upon two doors across from each other both leading to bedrooms. They each chose a room and began to unpack.

Lukas wasn't at all impressed with his new room as he took a quick look around. Besides for the bed, there was a small dresser, a night table, a mirror and a wooden rocking chair. The windows were too dirty to view out of and the floor creaked with every little step he took. Becoming bored of his room, Lukas decided to take a look around the house. He informed his brother where he was going and headed down the stairs.

Lukas looked through the living room and dining room but didn't find anything too interesting. He took a look around the large kitchen only to find that it was practically empty. There was a small library, parlor and even a conservatory. Though still, nothing caught Lukas's eye. He then went upstairs to look through the unlocked rooms but mostly found storage rooms. After he had searched the house he figured that he would never grow to like it here.

Lukas headed back to his room to get ready for bed. Tomorrow he and Emil would have to start school at the town's high school. Lukas was dreading that, he hated having to introduce himself to people. But he didn't really seem to have a choice so he would just have deal with it. As he was trying to get to sleep though, a thought occured to him; he hadn't seen a piano in this house.

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 **So, hopefully we'll meet some more characters next chapter :) Thanks for reading and tell me what ya'll think!**


	2. The Sound of School

**I know this was a really quick update but don't get used to it! I'm pretty sure I won't be updating every day :D And also I forgotto mention this before but I plan on making this a 2 part story. So there hopefully will be a sequel to this, just putting that out there because this fic will probably get depressing but knowing that there's a part 2 should help you believe that not all hope is lost :)**

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He hadn't seen a piano anywhere in this stupid house! How was he supposed to play if he didn't have a piano to play on? Why hadn't he thought about this before he left for this horrid place?

Lukas thought back to his old piano sitting in their old living room back in their old home in Norway. He pictured himself sitting on that piano bench and playing one of Mozart's masterpieces. He couldn't fathom not being able to play any of Beethoven's symphonies or Chopin's concertos. Piano was the only thing he had left from his father who was an avid piano player himself and had taught Lukas from when he was a child. And after he died the piano was what he would find comfort in. Sitting at that piano and just the feeling of his fingers gliding along the piano keys had pushed away any sad thoughts he had of his father's passing. The same when his mother became ill. The piano was his cave that he would hide in until the problems went away. Life was so much more simpler that way. His brother on the other hand was the opposite; Emil would never hide from his problems, he would always try to find a solution. But Lukas wasn't like that, and he knew he would never be. And that was why he needed his piano, he needed his hiding place, his escape from all life's troubles.

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Lukas woke up the next morning with a feeling of dread. He hated school and he hated other people. Though he wouldn't admit it, he really was just jealous of others. Why should they get to live such happy lives while he has to suffer? It just didn't seem fair.

Lukas quickly got dressed not really caring about the first impression he would make on people. Besides, he was never going to try to be friends with them anyway, so what does it matter what they think of him? As he walked down the stairs he could hear Emil in the kitchen. When he got there he found Emil searching through all the cabinets in the kitchen.

"Oh, morning Lukas." Emil said as he noticed Lukas standing at the doorway.

"Did you see him this morning?" Lukas asked.

Emil paused what he was doing to look at Lukas. "I haven't seen him since yesterday. Do you think he even lives here? If so, then how does he eat?"

"Maybe he justs eats out every day." Lukas said dully as he entered the kitchen. There was a box of cookies on the table that Emil had found in the cabinets and some cheese he had found in the fridge. The cookies were a little stale but they would have to do.

After their 'breakfast' Lukas and Emil retrieved their bags and headed out for school. When they got to the front of the walkway though, they weren't really sure which way to turn. It suddenly dawned on Lukas that their uncle had never told them where their school was.

"What do we do?" Emil asked in a worried voice.

Lukas of course took this as an excuse. "Well, looks like we can't go." He then turned to walk back towards the house but was immediately pulled back by his younger brother.

"Come on, Lukas," He said. "don't give up so easily."

Lukas gave an exasperated sigh. "Well then, what do you think we should do?" He asked in annoyance.

Emil looked around for a minute until he saw a young boy who looked about their age walking down the street towards them. "Him." He pointed at him. "Maybe he goes to the same school or at least knows where it is." Before Lukas could stop him Emil had already started to wave at the boy as he approached them.

"Hey, do you go to the high school here?" Emil asked him. The boy had blonde hair and his brown eyes held excitement in them. "Yeah, I do." He replied cheerfully. "My name's Tino. Did you guys just move here?"

"Yeah." Emil said. "My name is Emil and this is my older brother Lukas and we just came from Norway to live here with our great uncle."

The boy looked puzzled for a minute before he said, "You're great uncle lives here, in this house?" This caught Lukas's attention as both brothers gave each other a confused look. Lukas then asked, "Why is that surprising?"

Tino gave a small chuckle and said, "Well, it's just that the man who owns this house, which I presume is your great uncle, well, he rarely comes here. He has a different house in a nearby town and spends most of his time there."

It all made sense now to Lukas. That must be why the house was in such bad shape and why the kitchen was empty and was probably why his uncle was never home. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he barely knew anything about his great uncle. Why, he had never even heard of him until now. And why would his uncle leave them at his abandoned house with nothing to sustain them with?

"Do you anything else about our uncle?" Lukas asked the cheerful boy.

"I've never even seen the man!" Tino said nervously as Lukas gazed harshly at him. "Then how do you all that?" Lukas asked in an intimidating voice. Tino shook fearfully. "Well, everyone on the block knows it. It just passes around."

"You live on this block?" Emil asked trying to lighten the mood that Lukas had created. Tino instantly brightened up and said, "Yeah, just a few houses down."

Emil smiled. Maybe this could be a potential friend. "Cool. You think we can walk to school together?"

"Sure!"

As the three of them started to walk to school, Tino began to tell them all about their new town and what their school was like. Emil listened to Tino with interest as Lukas just wondered how the boy could babble so much. Instead of listening to the cheerful boy's rambling Lukas continued to think about the new information about their uncle Tino had told them. It puzzled Lukas and he was pretty sure there was more information that Tino didn't want to tell them.

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The school looked like any other school and Lukas couldn't tell why Tino found this place so exciting. Much to Lukas's discomfort there were students everywhere which would make it so much harder for him to stay invisible. He just hoped Tino wouldn't hang around him and pretend to be his friend. He had already decided not to get too close to anyone and Emil's plan to make friends was not helping.

"So here we are guys!" Tino said exuberantly as he led Lukas and Emil up the steps of the building. "So what do you think?"

"It looks like a school." Lukas said. Emil glared at him. "Ignore my brother's sarcasm." He said happily to Tino. "I think it looks great."

Tino beamed. "Well, come on, I'll show you around before class starts."

Lukas spent the rest of the day trying to stay as hidden as possible as he went through his classes. In the classes he was in with Tino made it a little harder but he managed for the most part. He was exhausted when the day was finally over and he just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. When he was packing up his stuff to leave though he heard a familiar voice come his way.

"Hey Lukas!" Lukas looked up to see a grinning Tino. "Are you leaving already?" He frowned when he noticed Lukas putting on his jacket.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I already asked Emil and he agreed so I wanted to ask you too." Tino replied. "My friends and I are forming a band and so far we only got a guitarist, a bass player and a singer. When I told Emil he said that he played drums and that you were an amazing pianist. He told me you guys would love to join our band!"

Lukas frowned and silently cursed his brother for saying that. He knew Emil was only doing this to make his stay here a little better but Lukas was convinced that nothing could make his situation any better.

"I don't think it will work out." Lukas said.

Tino then looked at him with sad eyes and said, "But Lukas, we could really use a piano player." Lukas stopped packing his things for a minute to think about what Tino had said. If he joined the band then he would have a chance to continue playing. True, he would have to socialize with a few people but he knew he didn't have to become close with them. He'll do it, he decided. But it's just to play the piano.

"Alright, I'll do it." Lukas said and Tino immediately regained his cheerfulness. "Yay! I told them we would all meet now to introduce you guys, so follow me!" Tino said as he pulled Lukas along with him. Lukas now had second thoughts about this, maybe this wasn't the best idea. He just hoped the other members weren't as enthusiastic as Tino.

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 **Thanks for reading guys and reviews are greatly appreciated! Stay tuned for the next update :D**


	3. A Crescendo of Emotions

**Hey guys! I'm having so much fun writing this so I hope you guys have fun reading this too :) Here's Chapter 3!**

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Lukas followed Tino as he led him down the halls towards the band room that they rehearsed in. When they got there, Lukas shot a quick glare at Emil to tell him that he wasn't happy about this. Emil just responded with a grin.

"So, this is Emil's brother Lukas I told you guys about." Tino said to the two other boys in the room. "He plays the piano." Lukas looked at the two other band members. One had short blond hair and wire glasses covered the stoic expression on his face. The other one had a more exuberant appearance with his messy blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. He figured he might be able to handle the former one's presence but the latter would probably be of a nuisance to him.

"Lukas, this is Berwald and he plays the bass." Tino said, pointing to the stoic boy with glasses. Berwald just gave a short nod of the head as a greeting which was perfectly fine with Lukas. "And this is Matthias, he plays guitar."

"Hi! Nice to meet you Luke!" Matthias said with way too much enthusiasm.

"Don't call me that." Lukas said curtly. He didn't like this guy and this was only his first encounter with him. This was definitely a bad idea.

"Alright," Tino said as an attempt to keep the peace. "well, now that we've had our introductions we can start practicing."

They all nodded in aggrement as everyone went into position by their respective instruments. Lukas could feel the excitement bubbling up inside of him as he sat down on the wooden piano bench. It definitely wasn't like his old piano but it was better than nothing.

Tino went around handing out the sheet music. Lukas looked over at Emil who was playing around with the drum set. Though he didn't show it, he could tell that Emil was just as excited as he was about this.

As Lukas began to look over the music Tino had gave him he started to have second thoughts about this. Maybe Emil was right, things didn't have to be so bad. He was actually quite glad Emil had made him do this. Maybe there stay in America would turn into something good.

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That night, Lukas was laying awake in bed staring up at the ceiling. He knew he should be going to sleep but for some reason he just didn't want to. Every time he tried to drift off he would suddenly get the urge to open his eyes and stay awake. He was starting to believe that maybe someone wanted him to stay awake.

As he lay there he started to think about the past events that had taken place in the last couple of days. Today's band practice was actually something Lukas had enjoyed though he would never admit it. He enjoyed experiencing the feel of the piano again. He still was hesitant though about making friends and was still determined to act hostile to his new band members. Lukas then began to wonder when he and Emil would hear from their mother and he wondered if she knew what their uncle was really like. If she did though, then why would she send them here?

Lukas then shivered as felt some sort of wind brush past him. He looked towards the windows but noticed that they were closed shut. He felt it again and looked towards the door but that too was closed tight. His eyes searched the room but he couldn't find anything that the gust of air could've came from.

The breezes started up again, though this time with more force. Lukas wrapped his blanket around him tighter as the temperature in the room dropped. The winds picked up speed and made howling sounds as they swept across the room. Lukas panicked as he lay there shivering and teeth chattering. What was going on?

The winds and noise then started to die down a bit though the low temperature remained. Lukas let out a long breath as the room became silent again. But this time, it was more of an eerie silence and Lukas almost expected some loud noise to come suddenly. Lukas remained still in his bed, afraid to make any sudden movements. He wondered if Emil was experiencing these strange happenings right now.

As he lay there, frozen in the darkness, he began to hear a quiet sound coming from up above him. The more he listened the louder it got until he was able to make out the notes of a piano being played. He couldn't exactly make out what it was though because it was still too quiet. But he and Emil were the only ones in the house and Emil didn't play piano. And, there wasn't even a piano in the house!

Lukas shot out of bed instantly forgetting the fear he had just felt. His bare feet touched the now ice cold floor and Lukas instantly regretted it. But before he could jump back into the warmth of his bed the piano music started up again. He had to find out where it was coming from.

Lukas maneuvered his way through the darkness until he came to the door. As he opened it slowly he could hear the music better. He looked out into the dark hallway and didn't see anything there. He then silently stepped out into the hall and went over to his brother's closed door. He put his ear against it but all he heard were the quiet snores of his brother.

Lukas began to walk down the hallway as the piano started again. It was louder now and Lukas guessed it was coming from somewhere up ahead. He cautiously walked further listening closely to the notes being played and found himself standing in front of a closed door. If he remembered correctly, this was one of the locked doors he and Emil had encountered on their first visit here.

Lukas sighed. "Why do doors inside have to be locked?" He muttered. "But it can't hurt to try opening it anyway." Lukas reached for the handle and was surprised at how cold the wooden doorknob was. He tried turning it, not really expecting anything but let out a gasp as the door opened. Maybe this door wasn't locked before, he thought.

The room was dark and the only sound was the piano music. Lukas could hear it perfectly now. It was a sad piece and it almost brought tears to his eyes to hear it. The more he listened though, the more it didn't sound like music anymore. It sounded as if someone was crying their heart out in a form of piano music instead of tears.

It then suddenly stopped. Lukas snapped out of his reverie as silence engulfed the room. He then hesitantly stepped inside the darkness and let out a shriek as there was a loud slam behind him. He quickly turned around to see the door was shut. But before he could go back and open it the piano music started again. He then began to walk towards it as if it was pulling him. He continued to walk until he almost tripped over something. He looked down and could slightly make out what looked like a step. He lifted his foot to place it on the step and felt around for some sort of railing. When he found the railing he continued to proceed up the stairs, the music hitting a crescendo with every step. When he finally reached the top, he found himself once again at another closed door. Lukas felt like he had no control over his actions now as he reached his hand out for the handle without the slightest bit of hesitation. He wasn't even thinking about what might be on the other side of that door. It was as if the music was hypnotising him as he casually turned the knob.

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 **Thanks for reading! Please leave a review to tell me what you think, they really motivate me to write more. Tak!**


	4. Midnight Ballade

**Hi guys! Sorry for this short chapter. Enjoy!**

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Silence. The piano music had stopped.

From his position at the open door, Lukas saw the dark room and shivered as a familiar wind passed him by. It was the same feeling he had gotten back in his room a few minutes earlier.

But where was the music? Why had it stopped? Lukas slowly entered the room, the wooden floor creaking beneath his barefeet with every step. He couldn't see much but the room seemed to be empty. Lukas moved his hand along the wall trying to find a light switch but there didn't seem to be any. He didn't really want to walk around the room in the dark so he decided he'd come back tomorrow when it was daylight outside. Maybe by then the piano music would start again.

BANG! Lukas whirled around to see the door had closed, by it's self. He quickly ran over to it and tried opening it but the handle wouldn't turn. He could feel that dreadful breeze brush past him again and that horrifying whistle ring in his ears. His hand kept jiggling the doorknob as Lukas could feel the temperature in the room drop drastically. It was exactly what had happened earlier in his room.

Realizing that he wasn't going to get that door open, Lukas leaned against it and wrapped his arms around himself for warmth from the cold air that had entered the room, from where, Lukas didn't know. The winds kept rushing by him and Lukas tried to ignore their whistling.

Then the piano music started. Lukas tensed as that slow, depressing tune reached his ears again. It was so clear now, as if someone was in this very room, just a few feet away from him playing those sad notes. Lukas was too afraid to move or make a sound so he just stood against the door as quietly as he could.

He just sat there, as still as a statue, listening to the music. He was still freezing but he didn't dare shiver out of fear of this someone or something hearing him. The winds continued to smack against his face but he didn't raise his hand to brush the blown hair out of the way. Lukas just waited, for what he didn't know. Maybe for the winds to stop, for the music to stop, maybe for the lights to turn on. He just sat waiting, waiting for something to happen.

And then it all stopped. The winds ceased, the room was silent and temperature rose back to normal. Lukas shakily got back into a standing position, his hands placed on the wall for support. As he leaned back against the door he felt his hand brush over something on the wall. It was a light switch. Lukas could have sworn there hadn't been a switch there before. He didn't ponder over it too much though as he quickly flicked the switch thus illuminating the room with light. Lukas squinted his eyes as they adjusted to the sudden bright glow and looked around at his surroundings. It was an old room and it looked as if no one had been here for years. There were no windows along the splintered walls and many of the floorboards were either broken or missing.

Then something caught his eye; in the corner, Lukas spotted something he hadn't noticed before. Amongst the missing floorboards and broken walls sat a gleaming, shiny, beautiful, black grand piano. It seemed much too out of place in this dusty, worn out room. Lukas tentatively made his way through the broken boards and splintered wood towards the piano. He placed a shaky hand on the glittering, black metal as if some strong force was pulling it. Lukas let his hand glide along the piano frame. He had never seen a piano this beautiful before. His eye caught sight of the piano bench and he stared at it almost longingly as a strong desire to play the beautiful instrument formed inside of him. He slowly made his way to the bench and sat down hesitantly. The bench felt warm, as if someone had just been sitting on it. Lukas let his fingers position themselves on the black and white keys as if they had a mind of their own. Then, without thinking, his fingers began to move across the keys, hitting them gently while creating a tune that Lukas could not put to name. It wasn't a tune of major sorrow nor was it of great joy, but Lukas felt as if it was his whole life story. He could hear his past, the good times and the bad times. It gave him a good feeling, a content feeling. He could feel the notes wrapping around his worries and anger and pulling them away from him, out into the open with the rest of the piano notes. The music had completely taken over his mind, all thoughts of depression and sadness gone. It was a relief for Lukas.

Lukas continued to play, his thoughts retreating from his mind one by one. He felt like he could sit there and play forever. When being honest with himself, he didn't think it was such a bad idea. He hadn't felt this happy in so long, so why should he go back out there into that horrible world where he would have to face that dreadful situation he had been put in.

But Lukas knew he had to go back. He still had one thing left in that painful and awful world; he had Emil.

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 **Please leave a review to tell me what you think :) Thanks!**


	5. An Unknown Melody

**Hey guys! I hope you're liking this story so far and thanks to all of you who are supported me, I really appreciate it.**

 **So this chapter I made a little bit longer to make up for the last one and I kind of used it to sum up a few of the main parts of this story that will play a significant role later on :)**

 **Disclaimer: Hetalia doesn't belong to me.**

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Emil poured himself a bowl of cereal and sat down at the kitchen table. Tino had offered to take him and Lukas to the grocery store the other day to buy some food as the kitchen didn't have any. Lukas of course refused but Emil had gratefully taken up Tino's friendly offer, after all, he didn't want to starve to death.

As he ate his breakfast, Emil began to reflect back on his time yesterday with Tino. He had learned a lot about him in that short amount of time. Apparently, Tino's family had moved here to America from Finland about five years ago. From what Emil could tell, Tino was a sweet boy with a cheerful personality. He loved making friends with new people and boy, did he talk! Tino just tended to ramble on and on about anything and everything. He also seemed to have a strong liking towards Christmas.

But for the most part, Emil was quite happy with the new friendship he had started with Tino. He just wished Lukas would come out of his shell and see the benefits and pleasures that come with having friends. Why did his brother have to be so jealous of people who are happy. True, Tino was a very happy and jolly person and probably was living a much better life than they were but that doesn't mean they can't be friends. Just because Tino didn't have to go through all the hardships that he and Lukas had to go through doesn't mean that he won't understand. Emil knew that Tino was a compassionate person and he knew that he'd do all he could to help them with what they're going through. Why couldn't Lukas understand that?

Emil picked up his empty bowl and put it in the sink. He'd have to wash it when he gets home from school as there wasn't enough time now. He quickly went upstairs to get his bag so he would be ready when Tino got here to walk to school with them. Emil walked down the hall to his room when he noticed Lukas's bedroom door was closed. He then realized he hadn't seen Lukas all morning. Lukas was usually up and ready before he was so Emil was quite surprised by his brother's delay this morning.

After getting his bag, Emil decided to remind Lukas they had to leave in a few minutes. When he got to the door he noticed that it seemed awfully quiet in the room. He knocked lightly and waited for an answer. When he didn't get any response he knocked again, this time a little bit louder.

"Lukas? You in there? We have to go soon."

Emil put his ear to the door and tried to listen for a sound but he couldn't hear anything. Maybe Lukas wasn't in there. It couldn't hurt to check though. Emil slowly opened the door, waiting for the familiar rant his older brother would go into whenever he would barge into his room like this. But it never came. Emil opened the door wider and shivered as he entered the room. It was pretty cold in here compared to the rest of the house. But Lukas did always enjoy the cold so maybe he just left open a window or something. Emil was surprised to find the room empty. He was pretty sure Lukas hadn't left his room this morning. Where could he be?

"Emil." Emil yelped and turned around, coming face to face with Lukas. Lukas's expression was blank and his eyes held a sort of dullness to them as if he wasn't really looking at anything. Emil was used to his brother's stoic demeanors but this was different. It was disturbing in a way and Emil kind of wished Lukas's look would return back to normal.

"Lukas, I didn't see you leave your room this morning." Emil said, diverting his eyes from Lukas. "Where were you just now?"

Lukas didn't answer right away and kind of looked like he was in some sort of daydream. He then snapped out of it and said bluntly, "In the bathroom."

The two brothers looked at each other for a few seconds in silence. Emil brightened as he saw Lukas's expression soften and the familiar face of his older brother returned to his view. Emil wasn't necessarily sure what had been going on with Lukas earlier but he let it slide for now hoping that it was just a one time thing.

"Let's go to school."

* * *

Lukas walked down the crowded hallway to his locker trying to avoid any social contact with the other students. It had been a strange morning so far and Lukas himself wasn't really sure what had happened. He remembered that it had started last night as he layed awake in bed. Then he remembered the piano music and how he had found the mysterious grand piano in some attic room. But the rest of the night was kind of a blur. He remembered starting out by beginning to play the piano and he was able to feel that same sensation that he had felt while touching those glimmering white keys. The tune of the piece he had almost automatically played began in his head and his fingers instantly began to drum across the desk he now found himself sitting in. He couldn't remember exactly what had happened after that. All he remembered was that tune, that melody, that joyous yet depressing melody. It was as if he had been playing that melody the whole night, as if it where a dream as Lukas found himself sitting on the piano bench when he woke up. Maybe he just fell asleep after he had sat down and the piano music was just in his dream. But that wouldn't necessarily explain the music he had heard that led him to find the piano and that feeling of playing the piano was too real to deny. He was positive he had been playing it. Maybe it wasn't a dream.

"Hey Luke!" Lukas jumped slightly as some obnoxious voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see a certain blond idiot with that stupid grin on his face. He cringed at Matthias's bright smile. It hurt him to think that some people had it so easy like that when he found it such a struggle to smile in his miserable life.

"I told you not to call me that." Lukas said, giving Matthias a cold stare. "My name is Lukas."

That only made Matthias smile wider and he even let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, yeah, whatever Luke." Lukas just scowled at him. "Anyway, Tino just asked me to remind you that we have band practice today after school. You're coming right?"

Lukas stared at Matthias harshly for a few seconds before giving him an answer. "Looks like I have no choice. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to class." Lukas then pushed Matthias out of the way and started walking in the opposite direction of the classroom he had to get to.

"Uh, Lukas." Lukas stopped abruptly and without turning around said in an irritated voice, "What?"

"I think you're forgetting we have next class together and the classroom is in the other direction." Lukas quickly turned around and walked hurriedly past Matthias as if he wasn't even there. To his dismay, Matthias quickly caught up with him and insisted on walking with him to their classroom.

"So Lukas, how do you like it here so far?" Matthias asked in an overly excited voice.

Lukas sighed loudly, trying unsuccessfully to hint to Matthias that he was being annoying. "I hate it."

Matthias laughed. "Aww, c'mon Lukas, it can't be that bad. I mean, I didn't really like it here at first either but after a while I started to like it. Yeah, I still miss home sometimes but you can't just dwell on the past forever."

Lukas stopped walking and Matthias stopped too with a confused expression. He was kind of confused at why Lukas had suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"What do you mean 'when you first came here?' Did you move here from somewhere else too?" Now that he'd thought about, Lukas did notice a slight accent in the blonde's speech.

"Uh, yeah, I moved here from Denmark about two years ago." Matthias said, uncomfortable with where the conversation might be going. "Why do you want to know?"

Lukas stood there silently for a few seconds before quickly turning to enter their classroom. "Nothing, just curious."

* * *

Lukas began to collect his books as the final bell rang. The day hadn't been that bad except for a few desperate attempts by Matthias to start a conversation with him and that mysterious piano melody that had been playing in his head throughout the day. He quickly pushed that thought out of his head though as he didn't want to dwell on it. Instead, as he walked to his locker he began to think about band practice. As much as he hated to admit it, he really did look forward to it everyday.

When Lukas arrived at their rehearsal room, he found that all the other band members were already there waiting for him.

"Lukas, you came!" Tino said happily.

Lukas just gave him one of his cold looks. "Why wouldn't I?"

Lukas walked over to the brown, wooden, upright piano and began to set up his stuff. The other guys did the same. As Lukas sat down on the bench he could hear that irritating melody come to his mind again. He sighed in frustration and tried to stop himself from hearing it but it wouldn't go away. Maybe if he tried playing it it would go away. As he thought about it, he started to remember himself sitting at that old, grand piano the night before playing this exact piece. He remembered exactly what notes to play and his fingers instantly positioned themselves on the correct keys. He could see himself playing that first note but when he tried to imitate it, his finger wouldn't hit the key. His mind was telling him what notes to play but his fingers wouldn't comply. It was like this specific piano wasn't compatible with this specific piece. But before Lukas could ponder it more, Tino announced that they should start practicing.

As Lukas played the piano he felt some sort of difference between playing on this piano and the grand piano he had found at home. He felt so much more alive when playing the other one while with this one, he felt some sort of emptiness. When he played the othe piano, he could hear the notes so clearly as if they were telling him something. They had a life of their own and they created a story so visible and tangible to Lukas that he felt like he was in another world. A world with no problems. A world where he could be happy and free. But sitting here in this school band room at this old, worn out piano, Lukas didn't feel any of that.

* * *

Lukas walked silently behind Tino and Emil as they walked home together. Tino was telling over some crazy story that had happened to him but Lukas didn't have the heart to listen. When being honest with himself, he didn't really have the heart to think about anything either. His mind was like that telephone call you would make to some company only to be put on hold for hours listening to that annoying background music. Except here, his thoughts were put on hold and that annoying background music was that joyously depressing piano melody that kept playing over and over again.

When they reached their house they were surprised to see a car parked outside. But what surprised them even more was that the car belonged to their uncle.

"Hey, it looks like your uncle is back." Tino said nervously, not really sure if this was good or not. "What did you say his name was again?"

"Uncle Gil," Emil said. He then turned to Lukas with a worried look. "Why do you think he's here?"

Lukas shrugged and started walking up the path towards the house. "I don't know, let's go see."

Emil said goodbye to Tino and then quickly follwed after Lukas. He was a little nervous of what awaited them. They hadn't seen their uncle since that first day he had dropped them off at this horrid place.

When they entered the house they found their uncle standing in the hallway, his eyes focused on an open book in his hand. When he heard the door open he quickly slammed the book shut and stuffed it in his pocket.

Lukas took the chance to examine his uncle. The last time he had seen him he was wearing sunglasses and a hat but now Lukas could see his facial features perfectly and they were quite disturbing. The man didn't appear to be as old as he was supposed to be. He looked pretty young for a great uncle. The man's hair was a pale white and his skin tone was so pale it was almost translucent. Lukas swore he could see every vain beneath it. His eyes though were what disturbed him the most. His eyes were a bright red, a redness Lukas had never seen before. It was a rare phenomenon to see and now Lukas understood why his uncle had covered up his appearance before.

He watched his uncle grab his jacket and walk towards the front door. He then said without any emotion in his voice, "I'm sorry I can't be home much but I have a lot of late nights at work. I have a plane to catch right now as I have a business meeting in Germany tomorrow so I won't be back for a couple of days. But I see you've managed without me so far so I wouldn't worry."

Lukas and Emil listened silently, both figured that he was probably lying about the late nights and the meeting in Germany but didn't dare suggest it. They both knew he hadn't really wanted this responsibility of being guardian over them. But before he could leave, Lukas just wanted to ask him about one thing.

"Uh, Uncle Gil," Lukas said hesitantly as his uncle began to open the door. "I wanted to ask you about that piano I found upstairs in that abandoned room."

Lukas watched as his uncle stopped in his place, his back towards to them. He didn't answer and then proceeded to step out onto the porch and pull the door closed behind him. But before he had closed it all the way, Lukas was able to catch a glimpse of the ghostly smile that crept up onto the red eyed man's pale face.

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 **Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews are greatly appreciated :D**


	6. Mysterious Concerto

**Hi guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in like, what, 2 weeks? Yeah, things have been kind of stressful lately and it only gets worse. My original plan was to update every weekend, around Sunday or Monday (bus as you can see I kind of got off schedule), I really hope to get back on that, like in a 2 weeks. Because literally for the next 2 weeks, I have 8 tests, an essay, research paper and a project for health class so I don't necessarily plan on updating until these 2 weeks are over. But, check on Sunday anyway, cuz you never know :)**

 **And I'm really sorry about the short chapter too.**

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"What piano?"

Lukas turned towards his brother who had a confused look on his face. He had completely forgotten that he hadn't told Emil about the piano and what had happened that night. He decided that he might as well tell him and show him the piano.

"Come with me Emil," Lukas said as he started up the stairs. "I have something to show you."

* * *

Lukas stood watching as his little brother gaped in awe at the beautifully crafted piano that sat in the dark, dusty room. The instrument was definitely a work of art. Someone must have put a lot of work into making it. But it was strange that such a beautiful piano would be tucked away in a small, dark room that was falling apart.

"But what's it doing here?" Emil asked.

Lukas shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

Lukas then went over to the perfectly polished bench and sat down while Emil continued to meticulously examine the piano. This was only the second time Lukas had sat at this piano, but it already felt so familiar to him. He felt so attached to it like how he had felt with his old piano back in Norway. But that attachment had taken time while this one had developed over night, literally. Thinking back to band practice that afternoon, he didn't remember feeling any connection with the school piano. In fact, he felt empty with that piano. What was so special about this one?

"Hey! Lukas! Earth to Lukas!" Lukas looked up suddenly to find Emil waving his hand in front of him, trying to get his attention. He must have been deep in thought if he hadn't noticed Emil before.

"What?"

Emil was silent for a minute before he spoke. "Did you notice how this piano is in such perfect condition?" Emil asked as he placed his hands on the piano's shiny surface.

The piano's perfect condition didn't really concern Lukas so much. "Well, no one's really lived here for quite a while and I'm guessing this hasn't been played for a long time so what could possibly damage it?"

Emil sighed in annoyance, his brother didn't seem to understand. "Lukas, this piano has been sitting in this room for many years, I'm sure. But, this room is old, dusty, falling apart and just plain out of use. Now notice, how _this_ piano has not _one_ scratch on it, not _one_ speck of dust, notice how it's completely spotless, like it has just been polished. But no one's been here to polish it! Now, can you explain it?"

Lukas looked around the room at all the dust and spider webs. He looked at all the broken floorboards and cracks in the walls. He then looked at the gleaming piano and he knew Emil had a point. He could even smell the piano's polish!

"But who was here to maintain it?" Lukas asked.

Emil gave his brother a stupid look. "Lukas, don't you see? The only person here aside from us, was _Uncle Gil._ "

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Please R &R, it really makes my day! Oh yeah, and this story's plot is sort of like a mystery and I know it's pretty short so far so you don't really have so much information, but as it progresses I love reading what people think is gonna happen. So feel free to tell me your assumptions :)**


	7. An Untuned Friendship

**Hey everyone! Yay, I actually managed to upload a chapter even though I thought I wouldn't have time. Well, I really didn't have time, I wrote this when I could've been doing homework but writing this seemed much more appealing than writing an essay :D**

 **So here's Chapter 7!**

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Lukas ate his lunch in silence as he sat alone in the crowded cafeteria. He observed the other students as they cheerfully chatted away with their friends as if they had no troubles in the world. Lukas frowned a little as he felt a small pang of jealously in his chest. It sure must be nice to have something to smile about. He kind of wished he could be a little like Emil who didn't let his troubles stop him from smiling. If only there was something in his life that could give him happiness.

"Hey Luke!" Lukas jumped slightly as that loud, familiar voice interrupted his thoughts once again. He put his stoic expression back on his face as he turned to face his annoying classmate who had taken the liberty of taking a seat across from him on the other side of the empty table. He had the same stupid smile on his face as always. It made Lukas wonder if his mouth might have been stuck like that. Because it just seemed impossible to Lukas that someone could possibly smile that much. Lukas didn't say anything to his uninvited guest as he just sat quietly watching the smiling blond unpack the contents of his lunch.

"So, Lukas," Matthias said, a little too loudly for Lukas. He was sure he saw heads turning towards their table and it was making him uncomfortable. "band practice yesterday was awesome, don't you think? I think we sounded great! You know, every year there's this band competition that the town arranges and I think we have a great chance of competing in it. I already told Tino about it and he thinks it's an awesome idea! What do you think Lukas?"

Lukas didn't answer right away as he was trying comprehend everything Matthias had just said in the last five seconds. It bewildered Lukas that he could talk that fast! Did he really think they were good enough for a band competition because Lukas definitely didn't think so.

"I don't really think we have much of a chance." He said calmly while he continued to eat his lunch.

"What?!" Lukas looked up as heard the Dane's outburst to find a shocked expression on his face. _Hey, would you look at that_ , Lukas thought to himself. _The idiot has other facial expressions._

"What do you mean we don't have a chance?" Matthias said, still with the shocked expression on his face, completely unaware of Lukas's sarcastic thoughts. "I think we're all great musicians and together we're just amazing!"

Lukas sighed as he looked down at his half eaten food. He really didn't have an apetite anymore. "You guys might be good musicians but that doesn't necessarily mean that I am."

"Is that why you looked so sad yesterday at rehearsal?"

Lukas's head shot up at the unexpected remark. He wasn't really sure what Matthias meant by that but the usually loud and happy Dane wasn't smiling right now and he looked at Lukas with a serious and somewhat concerned look on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Lukas asked.

"On the first day of rehearsal, that first day you met us, you looked so excited when you saw the piano. And then when you actually started to play it was like your whole mood changed. You looked so happy and full of life. But then yesterday, you didn't look so excited to play. And when you were playing, it just didn't seem the same, you seemed so...lifeless. Is it because you think you aren't good enough? Because let me tell you Lukas, I think you're a very talented pianist and I've only heard you play twice. So tell me, do you really think you're not good enough?"

Lukas hadn't realized he had looked so miserable yesterday. And he definitely didn't think Matthias was capable of picking that up. He remembered that first day, his first seeing a piano since he had left Norway. He remembered how excited he was to play again. He remembered the joy he felt from playing it and how much happiness it had given him. But Matthias was right, yesterday he just didn't feel the same way as he felt the first time he played. But it wasn't because he felt inferior to the others. No, it was much more than that. It was something so much more that Lukas didn't even know what exactly it was. It was on that night, that night he heard the music that led him to that mysterious grand piano. Something changed on that night and Lukas had no idea what it was. But of course, he couldn't possibly tell that to Matthias.

"I wasn't sad and I don't think I'm bad at piano. I just had a rough day yesterday, okay?" Lukas hadn't mean for it to come out so harshly but he couldn't let Matthias know the real reason.

Lukas looked away, afraid that he had hurt the Dane as he remained silent. He decided that he might as well leave so he wouldn't have to continue with this suddenly awkward conversation. Without warning, Lukas picked up the remainder of his lunch and left the table. As he headed out of the cafeteria he managed to sneak a glance at the Danish boy that he had left at the table. Lukas regretted it a little as he saw the hurt look on his face. Matthias was only trying to be nice and it kind of made Lukas happy to know that someone cared about him. Maybe he should give him a chance.

Satisfied with his plans to make amends with Matthias, Lukas snuck a glance at him one more time only to find the table empty. Lukas looked around the large cafeteria, still full of chattering students, but he could not find the Danish boy. Assuming he must have gone out a different door, Lukas began to turn back to his former direction. But before he managed to turn all the away his blue eyes caught a glimpse of something near the table he had earlier retreated from. He turned back to look at the table and let out a small gasp as his eyes set on something very unsettling. Standing next to the table was a man who looked vaguely familiar to Lukas. Lukas was positive he saw the man's white hair and red eyes somewhere but he couldn't remember where. But the strange thing was, he didn't exactly look like he was there. He almost looked transparent and nobody seemed to notice him besides for Lukas.

Lukas thought that he might just be seeing things so he blinked a few times and looked back at the table. But the man had dissapeared.

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 **Hope you guys liked it and please don't forget to review! I'm dying to know what you think :D**


	8. Hidden Notes

**Sorry, I meant to post this like 2 days ago but things in the way. Heads up for the next 2 weeks, I won't be able to post on Sunday so it will hopefully be either on Monday or Tuesday. But I might write more this week so I'll see if I can update before then. But for now, here's Chapter 8 :D**

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Lukas tried to pay attention for the rest of his classes but his mind was too preoccupied. He hadn't seen Matthias since lunch and he was still unsure about how he would apologize to the Dane. Though, Matthias didn't seem like the type to stay angry for long so hopefully by tomorrow he'd forget about it.

And Lukas still couldn't get the picture of that man he saw in the cafeteria out of his head. It deeply bothered him because he was positive he hadn't been hallucinating. What he saw was definitely real. And he looked so familiar but Lukas couldn't remember any place that he might have seen him.

When the last bell had rung Lukas was still pondering over Matthias and the mysterious man. He quickly packed up his stuff and headed to his usual position by the school doors to wait for Emil. The younger boy usually took longer to get his stuff together and Lukas still had trouble figuring out why. So, Lukas waited for his brother and hoped that he'd hurry up today because Lukas really just wanted to get home already.

Lukas waited for almost ten minutes but there was still no sign of Emil. The school was practically empty by now amd Lukas was getting pretty impatient. He was almost about to just leave without him when he spotted Emil coming down the stairs. Lukas crossed his arms and turned to face his brother, ready to give him a lecture on how long he had kept him waiting but froze when he saw someone walking with Emil.

"Hey Lukas," Emil said casually as he approached his brother, ignoring the shocked and somewhat annoyed expression on his face. He knew Lukas wouldn't be too happy about this but he decided to do it anyway. How else was Lukas going to open up and make friends? "Sorry I took so long and I hope you don't mind if Tino comes home with us for a while."

Lukas sighed in annoyance and started walking out. "Fine. Come on." He didn't want to sound rude towards Tino but right now he was not in the mood for people. He knew why Emil was doing this but couldn't he have picked a different day?

The walk home was much like their walk on their first day of school; Emil and Tino talked while Lukas followed silently behind. Lukas tried not to listen to their conversation so he could focus on his own thoughts but he couldn't help but overhear them. Tino was telling Emil about the trip he took with his parents to London a few weeks ago. It made Lukas a bit jealous to know that Tino had a family that he could spend time with. Lukas wished that he could go back to the days when he had a family. It seemed so long since they had all been together. But now that was all gone and Lukas knew that he'd never have a happy family again.

When they got home Lukas immediately escaped to his room much to Emil's dissapointment. He'd have to get Lukas out of his room later at least for a little while.

"Sorry about Lukas," Emil said apologetically to Tino. "I'll get him to come out later." The two boys then walked into the living room and sat down on the antique looking couch.

"I've actually never been inside this house before." Tino said as he looked around the beautifully furnished room. "The outside makes it look so desolate but on the inside it's actually really nice."

Emil laughed. "Yeah, I guess so." Emil suddenly stopped laughing when he remembered the old attic room which contained that mysterious piano. There was definitely something odd about the house. He then remembered the day he met Tino and how he had told him those strange things about his uncle. Emil wondered if Tino knew anything else.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Tino asked concerned.

Emil gave him a small smile. "Yeah, just thinking about something. Hey, remember when you were telling Lukas and I what you knew about our uncle?"

Tino shifted nervously in his seat. "Uh, yeah, why?"

Emil noticed his discomfort but he was dying to know more. "Well, I was wondering, do you remember anything else?"

Tino hesitated, not sure if he should tell Emil. He probably wouldn't believe him anyway but what if he did? He didn't want to worry him. "Well, there is something else but I didn't want to tell you guys because I didn't want to scare you. Plus, you might not believe me."

"Why wouldn't I believe you? And don't worry about scaring me, I happen to be very brave." Emil said with a smirk.

Tino laughed. "Alright, if you insist." Tino's cheerful voice suddenly became serious as he began to tell his story. "Well, when I first moved here the former occupants of this house were moving out. I never met them but one of the neighbors told me about them. Apparently the two were brothers who moved here from abroad, I don't remember which country they were from but they came to live here with their older brother who lived in this house. The older brother was rarely home and the two younger ones seemed to fend for themselves. Then one day, the youngest one just dissapeared! No one knows what happened to him."

"But what about his brother, didn't he know anything?" Emil asked.

"His brother rarely interacted with anyone." Tino said. "After his younger brother dissapeared he left the house. That was the day I moved here. He supposedly still lives here and there's a rumor that after the dissapearance he switched to our school so no one would know him."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes as Emil thought about this new information. Then a thought occured to him.

"Tino, you said you were here the day this kid moved out?"

"Uh, yeah." Tino answered.

"Then that would mean that the owner of the house, the boys' older brother, was still living here, correct?"

"I guess." Tino said, not sure what Emil was getting at.

"Then that means that you were also here when my uncle moved into the house?"

Tino then realized that he had never seen Emil's uncle move in. "I don't remember your uncle ever moving here. Actually, come to think of it, I think the older brother is your uncle."

"Do you mean to tell me that they're the same people?" Emil asked confused.

"Yeah!" Tino said. "Tell me, how exactly is he related to you?"

Emil's mind went blank. He had no idea. "My mother just said he was our great uncle. We had never even heard of him until now. So I guess it's possible he might have had two brothers."

Tino didn't look convinced. "But doesn't it seem odd that his brother just dissapeared and the other one ran away but he's still living here and not doing anything about it. Doesn't something seem wrong to you?"

Tino was right, something definitely didn't match up. "I don't know Tino. But maybe we shouldn't worry about it. I'm sure everything will be fine."

Tino sighed. "I don't know, I still think this should be looked into." Tino then looked at his watch. "It's getting late, I should really go now."

"Alright, I'll walk you out." Emil said as the two stood up. "Sorry again about Lukas. I really wish that he would try to make friends."

"Don't worry about it." Tino said cheerfully. "I'm sure we'll become great friends. Just give him some time. Bye!"

Emil stood in the open doorway watching Tino leave. Despite what he had said to Tino, the story really did bother him. Maybe he should look into it more.

"Is he gone?" Emil turned around to find Lukas standing at the top of the staircase.

"Yeah." He then closed the door. "Why are you so against talking to people?"

Lukas ignored the question and went to the kitchen to make himself something to eat. Emil followed him. "I go out and try to get an opportunity to make a friend and this is what I get?"

Lukas sighed and sat down at the table. "Emil, I know you want me to make friends and trust me, I want to too. But please, let me do it on my own. I'm trying, okay? I really am." He then picked up his food and went upstairs to his room leaving a shocked Emil behind him.

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 **So tell me what you think and thanks for all your support! Have a great day!**


	9. Friendships Are Not My Forte

**Well, I did it. I got another chapter up for you guys! Hope you like it!**

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Lukas walked to school alone the next morning as Emil had left earlier than him. Lukas didn't mind though as this left him to his own thoughts. His conversation with Emil had been on his mind all night. He appreciated Emil trying to help him but he needed to do this on his own. Today, he would show Matthias that he really did want to be his friend no matter how awkward it would be for him.

Lukas's first few classes flew by quickly with no sight of Matthias. Lukas found it funny that Matthias is always there when you don't want him but when you finally need him he's no where to be found.

Finally, by lunch Lukas spotted him sitting alone in the corner of the large, bustling cafeteria. It looked odd to see someone with such a friendly reputation sitting alone like that. Lukas felt a little guilty as this might have been his fault. But, he was determined to make things right and maybe, just maybe step out of his comfort zone and finally make a friend.

Lukas began to slowly make his way through the throng of people towards the corner table where Matthias sat. As he got closer he could feel his heart beating faster and his body start to sweat. He wasn't really sure how he was going to do this as starting conversations were not really his strong point. Maybe he should have just let Emil help him then this would be so much easier.

Lukas hesitated as he got nearer to the table. Being honest with himself, he wasn't too sure that liked this whole friendship idea. Friendships meant that you had to share your feelings and Lukas had already vowed to himself that he wouldn't let anyone get too close to him. He couldn't risk losing someone else, he had lost enough already. And friends are supposed to help each other in times of need but how would Matthias, or anyone for that matter be able to understand what he's going through? They all have such happy lives, nothing compared to his miserable past.

Lukas almost decided to give up but as he was about to turn around he saw Emil out of the corner of his eye. He was sitting on the other side of the room surrounded by a group of friends, all laughing and talking. He looked so happy, laughing along with his new friends. If Lukas hadn't known he would have never guessed what was really behind that laughing mask.

Lukas sighed as he looked sadly at Emil's smiling face. He had to try, if not for himself then at least for Emil. He had to show him that everything will be okay and that they can still live happily. Even if he didn't really believe in this whole friendship deal he would do it so that Emil could see it and so no one would suspect anything. He'd make friends with Matthias but he was not going to open up to him. He would not get to see the real Lukas.

* * *

Matthias pretended to be eating his lunch as he watched amusingly at the sight in front of him. He had been keeping his eye on Lukas since he had entered the cafeteria and he stared intently as he pushed himself through the mass of students in Matthias's direction.

Matthias knew that Lukas would come back to him. He didn't know what it was about Lukas that intrigued him but there was just something about him. It was like he was hiding something, some secret that he didn't want anyone to know about. Matthias could only wonder what that secret was and why Lukas was so hesitant to share it. He was going to find out what that secret was no matter how long it takes.

After Lukas had regained his courage he slowly approached the almost empty table trying not to make himself too visible. Lucky for him Matthias was staring out the window and didn't seem to notice his sudden presence. He sat there uncomfortably for a few seconds hoping that maybe Matthias would notice him and initiate a conversation. But Matthias continued to be completely oblivious to his surroundings as he stared out the window at, well, nothing really.

"Hi." Lukas said. He tried to make it sound casul but it was obvious his speech was forced.

Matthias snapped his head away from the window and his face brightened when he saw Lukas. "Hi! Come to join me?"

Lukas relaxed a little. Matthias didn't seem to think of his unexpected visit awkward. "Uh, yeah, I guess."

"Great!" Matthias said. "I was getting pretty lonely here all by myself." He then paused and looked at Lukas with a worried expression. "You're not still mad at me, are you?"

Lukas looked at him funny. "Mad at you for what?"

"For assuming things about you." Matthias said. "Yesterday, you walked away after I told you that you looked sad and that maybe you thought you weren't a good piano player."

Lukas looked away, shifting his gaze towards the window. "I was a little offended."

"I'm really sorry." Lukas turned back around and saw the apologetic look in Matthias's blue eyes. Lukas could tell he really meant it.

"Don't worry about it. It's not like you could've known how I really felt."

Matthias smacked the table causing Lukas to look at him in surprise. "But that's just the point Luke."

"That's not-"

"Your name, sorry. Lukas, I wanted to be a good friend and you looked upset about something so naturally, a friend instinct would be to make you feel better. But you never tell me anything, forget me, you never tell anyone anything! So that leaves me to guess."

Matthias paused and stared at the thoughtful look on Lukas's face. When he didn't reply Matthias continued, this time in a more quiet and thoughtful voice. "I really want to be your friend, Lukas. And I know that you're not the type to show emotion but maybe we can change that. You're having a tough time with something, I don't know what it is, but if you'd talk to me then maybe I could help. That's what friends are for, right?"

Lukas sat silently as he listened to what Matthias was saying. He claims he wants to help him but Matthias would never understand so what's the use in telling him his problems. But if he wanted to be his friend then Lukas figured that that wouldn't be too bad. This was his original plan anyway, to make friends with Matthias because that's what Emil wanted. He'd allow for the friendship, but he would not let it develop any further than this. Matthias would never be able to break down his protective wall.

"If that's what you really want, to be friends, then I'll do it." Matthias's face lit up. "But don't think that you'll ever get to know what's really inside of me because that stays hidden."

Without waiting for a reply, Lukas stood up from the table in order to leave. He didn't want this discussion to go any further. As he turned to leave Matthias's voice spoke up behind him. "Don't underestimate me, Luke."

Lukas turned back and shot him an icy glare. But before he could scold him Matthias cut in. "Leave it, we're friends now, remember? And I'll do whatever I have to do to find out what you're hiding."

 _ **RING**_!

Matthias disappeared as the swarm of students began to exit the cafeteria. Lukas stood glued to his spot, Matthias's words still on his mind. Why did he want to know so bad anyway? What good would it do for him? Is this what Emil wanted, someone for him to vent to? If that's what friendship meant then Matthias and Emil were in for a surprise because there was no way that Lukas was going to go along with that.

* * *

After his last class had ended, Lukas made his way to the rehearsal room. On his way, he passed by Berwald in front of his locker. Lukas had never really talked to the stoic looking bass player even though he figured they might have a lot in common. Berwald noticed Lukas and gave him a look of acknowledgement.

"I'll wait if you want and we can go together." Lukas said as Berwald turned back to his locker. The Swede didn't answer but Lukas waited anyway. The later he got there the less he would have to talk to his new "friend."

Berwald slung his bag over his shoulder and picked up his bass case. He then nodded at Lukas and began to walk in the direction of the rehearsal room. Lukas took that as an "I'm ready" and hurried to catch up with him.

Much to Lukas's satisfaction the walk was silent. Berwald didn't even look at him. This gave Lukas a chance to observe the quiet Swede and he wondered how on earth he had come to be associated with people like Tino and Matthias. Maybe he was just forced into it like he was. That would probably explain why he never says anything during band practice.

"Where were you guys?" Tino asked as they arrived at the room.

"Yeah, we've been waiting forever." Emil said.

Matthias then played a loud note on his guitar while everyone slammed their hands over their eyes in annoyance. "Tino's got an announcement to make!"

Tino laughed sheepishly. "Yes, but Matthias, please don't do that again." Tino waited until everyone was settled at their respective instruments and then began, "I do have an announcement. So everyone please be quiet and listen."

"And I suggested it." Matthias interrupted.

Tino resisted the urge to repeat what he had just said about being quiet and instead said, "Yes, and Matthias suggested it."

Emil then cut in. "What did he suggest?"

Tino saw that Matthias was about to answer so he quickly interrupted. "Well, I'm sure you all know of the town's anual band competition and Matthias suggested that-"

"We should enter!" Tino and Matthias said together.

Matthias looked around at the other band members with an excited gleam in his eyes. "So what do you think?"

"I think it's a good idea." Lukas said with his stoic expression on his face. Matthias smiled at him for his support and looked at the others.

"If Lukas thinks it's a good idea then I'm in." Emil agreed. Matthias smiled bigger and then looked at Berwald for a final yes. The Swedish boy gave him a nod and Matthias jumped up excitedly.

"See Tino, I told you they would agree!"

The rest of their rehearsal time was spent trying to get everyone to agree on a song for the competition. In the end they had finally agreed on something but it was too late to start practicing it. Because it was Friday, Tino said they would meet at his house on Sunday to begin practice.

* * *

"So why isn't Tino walking home with us today?" Lukas asked as he and Emil were walking home together.

"I'm not really sure. He looked a little nervous when I asked him and he mumbled about an appointment or something. I don't thinks he wants us to know."

"Interesting." The rest of their walk was silent as each of them were busied with their own thoughts.

* * *

After they had arrived home and had eaten a quick supper, Lukas was heading upstairs to his room to do some homework. When he walked through the front hall his eye caught a glimpse of something as he passed the phone. There was a light flashing on and off. Lukas walked over to it and realized that the light indicated that someone had left a voice mail. Not knowing anyone who could possibly have this number, he didn't even know the number, Lukas checked the phone's caller ID to see who had called. When the list appeared, Lukas paled as he saw that there was only one name listed;

The _Oslo University Hospital._

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Please review/fav/follow. Thanks for all your support! Bye!**


	10. Nocturne

**Hello! I had wanted to post this sooner but my internet was giving me problems :( So here you go, Chapter 10! Wow, I'm already on the 10th chapter!**

 **And sorry if this chapter might be a bit confusing.**

* * *

Lukas stared at the phone as if it was the most horrifying thing he'd ever seen. Its blinking, red light seemed like a warning to Lukas. A warning that the message held some horrible information, information that Lukas didn't want to hear. Lukas could feel his body tensing up as he stared at the phone. He knew he had to listen to the message but he was too afraid. He was too afraid that this might be the message that he had been dreading for so long.

Lukas took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. For all he knew, this message could be good, in fact it could bring wonderful news. That thought made him feel a little better and he slowly raised his hand to the phone. He placed his finger on the button but instantly froze. He couldn't listen to this alone. He needed Emil with him.

Lukas cleared his throat and called out for Emil. He tried to make his voice sound calm but he wasn't able to control the slight nervousness that crept up in his voice. He wanted to remain strong but right now the emotions he was feeling were becoming unbearable. He just prayed that this message would bring him some hope that he could hold onto.

* * *

Emil sat at the old, wooden desk in his room trying to do his math homework but found himself too distracted. Since his conversation with Tino the other day, all he could think about was what the Finnish boy had told him. He tried to convince himself that there was probably some logical explanation for it but as much as he tried to tell himself that, he couldn't help but feel like there was something more to it. Something that wasn't logical at all but he had no idea what it could be. Maybe he could do a little research on this supposed uncle of his. Maybe he'd find something.

Emil pushed his math homework aside and pulled out his laptop. He opened the Google search engine and was about to type in his uncle's name when he heard his own name being called. It was Lukas and there was definitely something off about his voice. He seemed scared and nervous about something.

Emil closed his laptop and hurried out of his room. When he got downstairs he saw Lukas standing by the phone. His face was pale, paler than usual and he had a scared look in his eyes. Emil grew a little nervous at the sight of his brother like this. Something must have been terribly wrong if Lukas had let his stoicism slip.

Lukas noticed his brother's presence but didn't bother acknowledging it. He just kept staring at the phone while the two of them stood in a tense silence.

Lukas then said quietly, "There's a message from the hospital."

Now Emil understood why Lukas was acting like this. He could feel his own worry start to build up inside him. But was Lukas nervous about what the message might say, or had he already heard it? Emil hoped it wasn't the latter because the expression on Lukas's face did not look to good right now.

"Did you listen to it yet?" Emil asked in the same quiet tone Lukas had spoken in.

Lukas promptly shook his head and Emil gave a silent sigh of relief. "I wanted you to hear it too."

Emil nodded and Lukas pushed the button to receive the message. They both held their breath as they listened.

 _"Hello. This is Dr. Anders Johanssen from the Oslo University Hospital calling on behalf of the patient, Else Bondevik. I am calling to inform you about the critical condition she is in right now. She has fallen into a coma about two days ago and has still not awoken. We do not know when or even if she will wake up but we will be certain to keep you informed. Farvel."_

The two brothers stood in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Both were unsure about what to think of this unexpected news about their mother. Surely, it must be serious if the hospital called to tell them about it.

Emil looked at Lukas, trying to figure out what his brother was thinking. He knew Lukas was paranoid by this even though he would never show it. Emil wanted to say something to him, somewhere along the lines of "it would be alright." But he knew it wasn't true. Emil stood there, waiting for Lukas to say that it was nothing to worry about like he always did. But this time he said nothing.

Lukas felt his brother's gaze on him. He knew what Emil was waiting for. He wanted to casually push it aside as if it was nothing but he knew that this time he couldn't. No, the message wasn't exactly what he had been dreading but it was close to it. It was like a preparation for what was to come. The thought terrified him. He turned slightly towards Emil, not really sure what to say to him. Emil stared back at him. He didn't say anything but his eyes told Lukas just how nervous he was. He then watched Emil abruptly turn away and retreat up the stairs to the privacy of his room.

Lukas sighed heavily, he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He tried to wipe them away but they were too insistent on staying. Before he knew it they had begun to fall, leaving wet streaks on his pale face. He actually felt a bit relieved as the tears came down. He hadn't cried in so long. He forgot how much he needed it. The tears he realized, were not just tears for his present situation, but they were tears for everything that had happened in his life. Tears for all those times that he held back from crying. The cap on his bottled up emotions had been opened and now those emotions were being released. Lukas didn't know if he should be happy that his facade had been broken or upset about it.

After he was positive that he had cried up enough tears to fill an ocean, Lukas went into the bathroom to wash his face. He stood by the sink, splashing on the cold water. The water felt refreshing on his tear streaked face. Lukas felt a little calmer now as the sound of the water rushing out of the faucet filled his ears. He tried to avert his thoughts away from his mother because he knew it would just lead him into another sea of tears. He tried to think of other things like school and the band. He smiled a little as he remembered Matthias's attempts at befriending him. He realized that he actually felt happier when he was with Matthias, despite the fact that he annoyed the hell out of him.

Lukas looked at himself in the mirror, still with the small smile on his face. The evidence of his tears had almost disappeared and Lukas felt a lot better now. The water still ran from the faucet as he continued gazing at himself, trying to rid his mind of depressing thoughts.

As he stood there he suddenly had a strange feeling come over him. He couldn't identify it but he felt like he had been engulfed in some sort of darkness. Not a literal darkness, but more of a dark sadness. Lukas didn't know why he felt like this right now while just before he was actually happy and smiling. He didn't even know what he was sad about. It was just a sadness over something.

Lukas stood there confused about what he was feeling. It was like someone was playing with his mind, trying to depress him. Lukas then heard a faint noise coming from above him. He looked up but saw nothing. He slowly stepped out of the bathroom, still in a slight daze, his mind still engulfed in some sort of sadness. He could hear it better it now, louder and clearer. He vaguely recognized the sound. It was some sort of tune, a melody per se. It only got louder as he walked down the hall towards a closed door. All of his surroundings disappeared, turning into a blur as the closed door stood out clearly in front of him. Lukas wasn't thinking straight now as the melody got louder in his ears. He suddenly remembered the melody, it was that joyously depressing melody that he was only able to play once. All his other memories and thoughts disappeared as the melody forced him out of reality and pulled him towards the closed door, the door that led to the attic room, the attic room with the mysterious piano. Lukas visioned the shiny, black piano in his mind. He suddenly had this compelling desire to play it, to play that melody that was pounding in his head. He let his hand grasp the door handle and he wanted to open it. He could feel the piano calling for him, begging for him to play it. He was now completely oblivious to everything around him, the only thing on his mind now was the piano. He could feel the sadness in his veins turning into anger, desperate to leave his body. The piano was the only way. He needed it to release his anger. He suddenly remembered the first time he had played it and how relieved he had felt. This wasn't just any piano Lukas realized. This piano was magical, it did glorious things for his aching heart. His hand, still wrapped around the handle, suddenly felt as if someone else placed theirs on top of it. But that didn't matter to Lukas as the other hand was now turning the handle for him, giving him access to a whole new world.

* * *

Emil sat at his desk with his head in his hands. He didn't necessarily feel the need to cry but he still felt sad nonetheless. All this time, he had been trying so hard not to let himself get depressed over it, but now, he was starting to feel it. He was starting to feel what Lukas had been feeling this whole time. That feeling of loneliness and sadness.

Thinking about Lukas, Emil suddenly regretted running off like that. Right now, Lukas was probably broken inside. Maybe it would be better if they both talked with each other about it. It would probably be beneficial for both of them.

Emil stood up from his desk and went to open his bedroom door. When he stepped out into the hall he got some sort of strange feeling. He felt like there was a strange atmosphere in the room. Emil didn't really want to think about it so he quickly shrugged it off thinking it was probably nothing. He then saw Lukas step out of the bathroom. He looked like he was kind of in a daydream, his eyes staring straight ahead, though it didn't seem like he was really looking at anything in particular.

"Lukas?" Emil said. Lukas didn't answer him, he probably didn't even notice Emil was there. He had started walking straight ahead as if he was in a trance. Emil watched him, not really sure what was happening. He thought he heard something, some sort of tune, but it was just a murmur in his ears. He didn't pay attention to it so much as he was mainly focused on Lukas who had now reached a closed door. His hand was placed on the knob but he had froze. Emil got nervous and tried calling his brother's name again but Lukas still didn't answer. He then realized what the door went to; it went to the old piano in the attic. Emil knew that back in Norway, Lukas would always go to play the piano when he was depressed. Maybe that's what he was doing now. And Emil knew that whenever Lukas was in a depressed state he had always ignored Emil, so it made sense why Lukas hadn't answered him.

Emil watched Lukas open the door. He then got that strange feeling again, he felt like there was something wrong but he couldn't put his finger on it. He sighed and turned back towards his room. He could hear Lukas climbing the stairs up to the attic. He might as well leave Lukas alone now. He was about to enter his room when he took one more look out into the hall. He froze when his eyes fell on the place Lukas had been standing a few seconds ago. A man stood there, but it didn't look like he was there. He almost looked transparent. Emil could have sworn that he saw him somewhere. Then suddenly, the man turned his head towards Emil, his bright eyes meeting Emil's violet ones. Emil stared in shock as the man winked at him with a smirk on his face and then vanished.

* * *

 **And there you go! Thanks to everyone who's been reading this story so far! And please, please, pretty please leave a comment telling me what you think, I'd really appreciate it. Plus, I write faster when I'm encouraged :D**


	11. An Unexpected Note

**Hi guys! Sorry this is late. I had some writer's block with this but then I got into writing it again. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: Hetalia doesn't belong to me.**

* * *

Lukas jolted awake from his sleep and looked around at his surroundings in confusion. He was sitting on the piano bench in the attic. Lukas quickly looked at his watch to see that it was nine in the morning. Had he slept here all night?

Lukas tried to think about last night and how he had ended up here. He couldn't really remember anything as his memory of that night was pretty blurred. He remembered the voice message from the hospital and how he had cried afterwards. He then had went to the bathroom, but after that things got a little fuzzy in his memory.

He slightly remembered hearing piano music. He then vaguely remembered himself playing the piano, though he couldn't remember what he was playing. He probably just fell asleep in middle, like last time.

* * *

Emil sat on the couch in the living room silently staring out the large picture window. He hadn't seen Lukas all morning but he figured that he was just tired and slept in. Emil wasn't quite sure when he went to bad last night because he was already asleep by the time Lukas had finished playing the piano. It must have been late though as Lukas rarely slept in.

Emil then turned away from the window as he heard footsteps coming from the hall. He looked up to see Lukas coming down the stairs. He looked completely exhausted like he hadn't slept at all.

"Morning, Lukas." Emil said as Lukas walked by him. Lukas didn't reply and went into the kitchen to make himself something to eat.

Emil turned back to the window as it was obvious that Lukas wasn't in a mood for conversation. But then again, when was he ever? Emil looked outside at the drops of rain that began to fall.

 _What a wonderful way to ruin a Saturday,_ Emil thought grimly to himself.

He watched as people hurried inside to get out of the sudden rainfall. Low rumbles of thunder began and a streak of lightning flashed in the sky. Emil then looked in surprise when a very familiar car parked in front of the house. He could feel himself tensing up as he turned to look at Lukas who was calmly sitting at the kitchen table, his now empty plate laying in front of him.

"Lukas, Uncle Gil is here."

Lukas looked over suddenly at Emil. Emil just shrugged his shoulders and they both looked over at the window to see their uncle walking up the pathway. They waited silently as they heard his footsteps on the porch and his keys turning the lock. He then opened the door and closed it behind him.

"Bad weather out there." He said casually as he pulled off his soaked jacket.

Lukas and Emil still stood there awkwardly as they weren't sure what to do about this unexpected visit. They watched silently as their uncle walked into the living room and sat down.

"So, how are two liking it here?" He asked them as if he always talked to them like this.

Lukas didn't say anything but Emil cautiously stepped into the living room and hesitantly took a seat opposite the white haired man. He didn't why Uncle Gil was here or how long he would stay so he had to take every opportunity he could to get more information on him.

"We're liking it very much, thank you." Emil then paused, choosing his words carefully so as not to arrouse any suspicion in his uncle. "And we really like the house, it's so old and antique. How did you come to own such a beautiful place?"

Emil sat nervously as he waited for his uncle's reply. He felt a bit relieved when he laughed.

"Oh, I didn't buy it. An old friend of mine gave it to me."

"Like as a gift?"

Uncle Gil smirked. "I guess you could say that."

His phone then rung and Lukas and Emil watched silently as he answered it. He spoke for about thirty seconds and then abruptly hung up.

"Sorry, boys," He said, putting his phone back in his pocket. "But I'm going to have to cut this visit short as I've got to go. You two take of yourselves now."

He then grabbed his still wet jacket and left without even saying goodbye.

The door slammed with a bang as thunder boomed and lighting struck the sky. Lukas turned warily to Emil.

"What was that all about?"

Emil shrugged. "How should I know why he came?"

Lukas sighed in frustration. "Not that. I meant your conversation."

Emil looked at Lukas but didn't say anything. He didn't want to tell Lukas what Tino had told him. Lukas was already upset enough, he didn't have to give more problems to deal with.

"Just trying to make conversation." Emil lied.

Lukas gave him a look and then walked away, probably to seclude himself in his room. After he heard Lukas close his bedroom door, Emil hurried upstairs to his own room. He went over to his desk and pulled out his laptop. He had to get more information on this mysterious uncle of his. He opened up Google and began to type in his name.

He typed in the name Gilbert but he then stopped as he couldn't remember his last name.

"What did mom say it was?" Emil asked himself, trying to remember. "Oh! Beilschmidt!"

He then fervently typed it in and clicked the search button. He waited impatiently for the search results to pop up but all of sudden, his screen blacked out. He tried moving the mouse but nothing happened. He clicked madly at the keyboard but the screen still remained black.

 _Maybe the storm knocked the power out,_ Emil thought to himself. _But, if the storm knocked out the power, then why is the rest of the power in the house working?_

* * *

 **Tell me what you guys think! Thanks for reading!**


	12. Broken Chords

**I'm back! I got inspiration for this again, so we'll see how long that stays.**

 **Disclaimer: Hetalia doesn't belong to me.**

* * *

Lukas frowned as he gathered up his sheet music for the day's band practice. He was in a foul mood today, and wasn't at all happy to go to band practice. In the beginning, he had looked forward to it because it meant he would get to play the piano again, but ever since he found that grand piano in the attic, playing with the band just hadn't felt the same. It seemed superstitious to Lukas for him to think of it like that, but he had no other way of describing it. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew there was something special about that piano. That piano was different, but he wasn't sure why.

 _RING!_

Lukas looked up at the telephone sitting on the table beside him. The fact that only a few people actually had this number put him on edge as it easily narrowed it down to a certain caller that Lukas had been dreading. Seeing that he couldn't just ignore it, Lukas slowly stood up and made his way to the ringing phone. A familiar shiver went down his spine when he saw who was calling. It was that dreaded phone call from the hospital that would inform him of his mother's situation after her surgery. Lukas was tempted to just walk away, and not answer it at all, but the phone's constant ringing made it clear to him that he had no choice, but to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hej. This is the Oslo University Hospital calling. May I please speak with Lukas Bondevik?"

Lukas took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever was about to come. "You're speaking with him."

"Oh, well, Mr. Bondevik, I'm calling to inform you of your mother's current situation. The surgery went as planned, and though she is still in a coma, she's doing well for now. We will keep you updated."

Lukas let out the breath he was holding. "Thank you. I appreciate your call."

Lukas let out a huge sigh of relief as he hung up the phone. The worry he had been carrying around for the past couple of days began to disappear as the reassurance of the sudden phone call settled in. The surgery had went well despite the expectation he had had of it going completely wrong. His mother was still in a coma, but at least she was alive, for now.

"Did the phone ring?"

Lukas turned around to see Emil standing behind him. The worried look on his face pained Lukas, but it cheered him up a bit to know that he could give his brother good news for once.

"The hospital called. The surgery went as planned, and she's doing fine, though she's still in a coma."

Emil just nodded. He knew better than to delve more on the topic. It was an unspoken rule between them that talk about their mother and their past was limited, and only brought up if necessary.

"Well, then," Emil said in a more cheerful tone. "ready to go?"

Lukas sighed and picked up his sheet music. "I guess so."

* * *

They didn't have to go very far as the band was getting together at Tino's house that afternoon. And even though Lukas and Emil lived the closest to Tino, they were still the last ones to arrive.

"Hi guys! Come on in." Tino said brightly when he opened the door for the two.

Lukas didn't bother to give much of a greeting, instead he simply nodded at Tino, and walked right past him. Emil stayed behind and looked at Tino apologetically.

"Sorry about that. He's not in the best of moods today."

Emil tried to keep his voice down, but he knew Lukas could hear him anyway. Lukas pretended though that he couldn't hear them because he knew what Emil said was true.

Tino just smiled back, still optimistic as ever. "It's okay. I'm sure we could find a way to cheer him up."

Lukas sighed as he looked at the sheet music in front of him. He then put his hands in position and waited for Tino to start. He hadn't really practiced it much beforehand. All he really did was look over it a little, but he was still pretty confident that he could play it.

When Tino began, Lukas reluctantly played the first few notes along with the others, the sounds of their instruments filling up the room instantly. Lukas wasn't paying attention to them though. His mind was only focused on the piano in front of him. His fingers hit the keys in perfect timing, just as they were supposed to, but his heart wasn't in it. He could barely even hear the melody his moving hands were creating. It meant nothing to him. This piano was nothing.

His fingers kept going, hitting the keys a little more harsher now. Lukas felt nothing as he played, but he was supposed to feel something. That was why he played the piano in the first place. It was supposed to lift his spirits, bring some happiness to him again. There was something wrong with this piano. Lukas stared hard at it as if he was trying to look into the soul that he knew the piano didn't have. His hands were now slamming down on the white and black piano keys, their echoes booming and ringing through his ears, yet Lukas could barely hear them. They didn't mean anything to him. Why couldn't he hear anything? Why couldn't he feel anything?!

"Lukas?"

Lukas froze as he heard his name being called. His hands stopped middair, the undecipherable booming in his ears came to a stop, and the blurred image of the piano in front of him cleared up, making him see clearly the confused and somewhat frightened faces of his friends and brother. They had all ceased their playing and were staring at Lukas, confused at what they had seen. Lukas wasn't entirely sure what he had just done, but when he looked back at the piano he could feel the emptiness again. That same emptiness he had felt the last time he played at band practice on the school piano. That same emptiness he had felt whenever he played any piano other than the grand piano in the attic.

"Lukas? What's wrong?"

Lukas looked up when Tino worriedly asked the question. Berwald, Mathias, and Emil still stayed silent, watching him with interest. Lukas wasn't sure how to answer. He didn't know exactly what they had seen. Nevertheless, he couldn't possibly explain to them his feelings and his strange theory concerning the different pianos. Instead of replying, Lukas just waited for Tino to elaborate on his question, as Lukas expected that he would.

"Why were you hitting the keys so hard? Are we doing something wrong?"

Lukas shook his head. Tino took the gesture to mean a "no," but Lukas had done it to set his mind straight.

"Nothing is wrong." He said, trying to avoid eye contact with any of them. "I'm just not up for playing right now."

Tino smiled, trying to brighten up the atmosphere. "That's okay. We can try again next time. Why don't you and Emil go home, and we'll try again another day."

Lukas finally looked up at the curious faces around him. His eyes met Emil's, but he couldn't figure out what his brother was thinking.

"Thanks." Lukas replied. "Come on, Emil. Let's go home."

Emil complied immediately and bid goodbye to Tino, Berwald, and Mathias. When he got outside and was alone with his older brother, he got straight to questioning.

"What just happened? It was going well, you didn't have to ruin it!"

Emil immediately regretted what he said when Lukas stopped in his tracks and turned around to glare at him. "I didn't do anything. It wasn't my fault."

Emil raised an eyebrow, confused at what Lukas had said. "What's that supposed to mean? Then who was doing that?"

Lukas's eyes were fixed on Emil, though his brother wasn't in his vision. Instead, in front of his eyes he saw the black, glittering piano sitting in the attic. He could hear that same melody in the background as if it was calling to him to come and play. Unlike what he had just played now, he could actually hear every note of the melody, each one had it's own meaning. Each one sounded so tangible as if he could actually touch them as they filled his empty heart with the happiness that he had lost so long ago. That was a piano that brought him joy when played. That was the piano he had to play.

"Lukas? What are you doing?"

Emil watched his brother with concern as he turned away and began to walk in the direction of their house. At first glance, it wouldn't look weird to him at all, but Emil could sense something was wrong here. There was something going on with Lukas, and he had to figure it out.

* * *

 **I hope this story isn't confusing or anything. Tell me what you think. Thanks for reading!**


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